Dearly Beloved
by HentaiHanyou
Summary: DISCONTINUED! Sorry, I just don't have the inspiration for it anymore... I feel like it sucks... But if you still wanna read... They say that music can bring people together... One day a melody starts a song of fate that they can't escape... RiSo pairing
1. Fateful Sonata

A/N: Gisele has been very inspired lately. I've been going a little fan fiction crazy. And this is my absolute favorite fandom, so I'm more than happy to do a little story for it! Not sure where I'm gonna go with it, but I hope all enjoy!

A/N 2: I was listening to "Dearly Beloved" the song that runs in the very beginning of the game on the loading screen and it made me think of this. It's a very pretty song that I simply adore 3

Disclaimer! (I remembered to write it again! ) I do not own Riku, Sora or Kingdom Hearts! If I did, Kairi would be dead, leaving the two boys to be happily together. And I would take Riku home on weekends

**Dearly Beloved**

_Chapter 1: Fateful Sonata_

"Alright class! That will be all for today! Don't forget to review pages..."

The rest of the teacher's words were drowned out by the squeal of the bell and the rush of the exiting students. His sapphire eyes had been staring out the window, yearning for freedom when the sound of the bell alerted Sora back into reality. He straightened up in his seat and stood up slowly, stretching out his aching bones. He heard a pop and winced, telling himself to drink more milk. He scratched at the back of his neck, fingers brushing over the clasp of his silver crown necklace. It was about the only thing he got away with in this school, his luck not exactly being with his grades.

"Finally... The end of the day..."

Sora was one of the last to leave class, sighing softly to himself as he picked up his books. Wandering out slowly, not in any rush to join the rest of the student body, he began to hum to himself. It was always hard to have school during the summer. The thought that there were other teens like him out enjoying the sun made Sora green with envy. He loved the summertime; the crisp air, the feel of the refreshing beach water on his tan skin. If only he hadn't gone and failed math...

"Damn it..."

Sora growled softly under his breath and walked a little faster. The sooner he could get to his car, the sooner he could get to the beach. He already had his trunks in the car, along with some snacks, his board and a towel. He'd been anticipating it all day...

Suddenly, Sora's ears picked up music. Without really understanding why, he turned towards the sound and followed it.

"A piano..."

Someone was playing in the school music room. He thought to himself that it was beautiful and started to walk a little faster without realizing it. Sora liked all types of music, but he was a real sucker for classical and piano pieces. The sounds were just so peaceful, which he thought was something unappreciated in his current generation of music. Whoever was playing was good enough to capture his interest, which peaked his curiosity. Who in his school had such talent?

Reaching the room, Sora stood in the doorway simply observing. The boy at the piano was nearly finished with his piece, which Sora had recognized immediately after hearing it.

"Eyes on Me."

Sora had muttered softly to himself after the last note was played, getting the pianist's attention. The boy turned his head quickly, apparently being too involved in his music to notice Sora until he had spoken. Aqua locked onto sapphire and neither of them said a word for a moment, trapped in each other's gaze.

Straight, silver hair cascaded in stylish layers down to his shoulders. Shocking aqua eyes - a beautiful mixture of blue and green - stared back at him. His lips were full and pouty, set against a soft, pale, questioning face...

"He's gorgeous..."

Sora inwardly squirmed and thanked the powers that be that he hadn't said that out loud. He always kind of knew about his own preferences, but was glad that no one else did. Even living in the land of the free did nothing to ease the fear of ridicule and prejudice that the gay community faced these days. He was secretly hoping to grow out of it, but deep down, he knew he was fooling himself. However, it was no one's business but his own. Sora didn't really have anyone that he was too close to. He was more of a loner in school. The only people he could really stand were his 'beach buddies' as he called them. Random surfer dudes that shared his opinion of the fresh sea air. Even then the most he shared with them was a sandwich or a wave...

Sora snapped out of his daze, realizing he had just been standing there staring for almost a full minute. Hoping he wasn't blushing too hard, he ran a hand through his cinnamon spikes and grinned awkwardly.

"Eyes on Me. From Final Fantasy 8. That's what you were playing, right?"

The other boy blinked twice, snapping out of his own trance. He smiled lightly at Sora, remembering himself.

"Yeah... I'm surprised you know that piece..."

Sora huffed indignantly. He puffed out his cheeks a bit - a habit he hadn't been able to break from childhood -and stared hard at the young man in front of him. The boy was wearing the school's standard uniform, but Sora couldn't help but think that it suited the one before him more than it suited himself. The boy stood up - a whole head taller than Sora, which was something he didn't like - and smiled down at his expression, eyes shining.

"Of course I know what it is! It happens to be one of my favorites."

"Ok, ok! I don't know too many people that listen to video game soundtracks. No need to get offended."

"I love them! Especially stuff from the Final Fantasy series."

"Oh?"

"Yeah! Like the main theme from 7 or Zanarkand's theme from 10..."

Sora started to babble on, his mood turning bubbly and infectious. Soon he had the other boy laughing at his enthusiasm and adding comments of his own. When it seemed he had finally run out of steam, he turned a questioning gaze upon the boy.

"Why are you in here anyway?"

The boy quirked a silver eyebrow.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Sora stuck out his tongue and glared at him.

"I mean why are you allowed?"

The boy chuckled at Sora's behavior.

"Mrs. Stevens lets me practice here during summer school. I don't have a piano at home."

Sora shook his head, not understanding why someone would want to be holed up in a small room when they could be out enjoying the sun. The boy picked up his sheet music and turned to walk out the door, when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned around and saw Sora gazing apologetically up at him. He couldn't help but think that it was an adorable face.

"I didn't mean anything bad. I'd just rather be outside, you know?"

Sora snapped out of his funk and grinned quickly. He stuck out his hand.

"I'm Sora!"

Ignoring the hand, the boy smiled and softly rustled Sora's hair.

"Riku..."

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So there we go! Chapter one! Enjoyment, yes? Hope so - it was a little too short for my taste is disappointed in self Well there will be more to come! Kindly review dearies!


	2. Summer Perks

A/N: Time for a new chapter of Dearly Beloved! It seems to me like I've pumping them out lately. Yay for ideas!

Disclaimer! I do not own Riku, Sora or Kingdom Hearts! I mean really now, would I be here writing little stories if I did? No no no... I'd have better outlets for my energy

**Dearly Beloved**

_Chapter 2: Summer Perks_

As Riku headed out the door, Sora quickly turned to join him. The school was practically empty now that the summer school courses had ended for the day, so they strolled down the hall in companionable silence. A silence that Sora couldn't seem to handle.

"So she just lets you use the piano? Without any supervision?"

"Yup."

"Why does she trust you like that?"

"Guess it's because I'm her favorite student."

"Oh? A goody two shoes are we?

"Pfft. Hardly. More like the most talented and promising student she's ever seen."

Sora wanted to laugh at Riku's arrogance, but he couldn't deny the fact that he was probably right.

"Well that was certainly nice of her."

"Hm."

Sora was started to get annoyed by his quick and simple answers. It was like Riku was trying to brush him off. Sora did his best to keep his temper in check and continue the conversation.

"So you just come here everyday during the summer to play?"

"Well I certainly don't have summer school."

Sora decided to ignore the distain in his remark, but his temper was slowly rising. Just as they reached the exit to the parking lot, Sora turned to him before they stepped out.

"Why?"

Riku smiled down at him and Sora's anger was forgotten. Damn, he was really hot. As he mentally smacked himself again, Riku winked at him.

"Let's just call it a summer perk."

With that, Riku was out the door, leaving Sora to stand there gawking. When he regained his senses, he turned around to realize that Riku was gone completely. Sighing softly to himself he headed for his car. He needed the beach...

--------------------

Sora thought about Riku the rest of the day. When he walked into his normally empty home, he suddenly felt lonely. Both his parents were workaholics and they were either away or at the office most of the time. It was how Sora had been raised, so it was something he normally didn't mind. But meeting Riku had had some strange sort of affect on him. Suddenly he wanted the affection that his parents weren't there to give him. After fixing himself a light dinner, Sora went into his room and through his music collection. Pulling together every piece of video game music he owned, Sora compiled all of his favorites onto a cd and burned it. When it was finished burning, he put it into his deluxe stereo system - a gift that he had bought himself with several months' worth of allowance - and simply listened. Wrapped up in melody's embrace, Sora fell asleep. But he had one final thought on his mind.

"I'm going to get to know him better..."

--------------------

"Now class, in this algebraic expression, can anyone explain why 3x and 3x squared cannot be combined?"

Sora wasn't even listening to the teacher, more anxious then ever to get out of class. He just couldn't wait to see if Riku would be there again. He had blasted the cd the entire time he was home and getting ready for school. He had the melodies screaming in his car on the way. And now, he even managed to sneak his old cd player into his bag and was listening through one ear as his teacher prattled on about math. He was sure he'd be prepared for anything that Riku might want to play today. He just hoped he'd find him...

"SORA!"

Sora snapped out of the spell he had put himself into and stared at the teacher dumbly.

"Did you here the question that I asked you?"

"Yeah, sure. It's uhhh... 1x."

"Well, seeing as how I asked you if you had a pencil that the person behind you could borrow, I'd say you were paying loads of attention. You'll see me after class mister."

As the class giggled at his misery, Sora put his head down on the desk, silently praying for the bell to ring.

--------------------

"Man, that took forever!"

Sora rushed away from the math classroom, practically sprinting down the halls. His teacher - whom they all called Mr. George because his real name took forever to pronounce - had kept him for at least 20 minutes, going on and on about responsibilities an how his education would greatly affect his future. As he walked towards the music room, Sora noted that he didn't hear the sound of the piano. Hoping Riku was just taking a rest, Sora turned into the room, smile on his face. Unfortunately, he found the room empty and his face fell. Sora pivoted on his heels and was going to go to his car and pout. However, he walked face first into the chest of Riku.

"Hey there...Sora? Looking for me?"

Sora smiled up at him before he remembered himself and blushed so hard he thought he'd have no blood running through his heart, because it was all in his cheeks.

"NO! I mean sorta... Yeah, so hi!"

Riku chuckled at him and gave him a noogie. He walked away from Sora and back to the piano, inviting Sora to sit at one of the desks behind him. He cracked his knuckles and placed them on the keys.

"Guess I must have really impressed you yesterday, huh? Well let's see how much you really know."

As Riku started to play, Sora recognized the piece immediately. He happened to know this one like the back of his hand. Sora sat there, quietly listening and genuinely enjoying himself. He decided that Riku's arrogance was completely deserved and he smiled to himself at the thought. When the piece was finished, Riku turned around and looked at Sora, expecting an answer. Sora slowly clapped and smiled.

"That's an easy one. It's your home world's theme from Chrono Cross"

Riku looked satisfied and nodded his approval.

"Here's one I put my own sort of spin on."

When Riku turned around to play again, Sora couldn't help but laugh when he heard the song.

"Oh my God, the Zelbess theme! Ah, that's awesome man!"

Riku took a sitting bow for himself, and continued to play.

--------------------

Sora sat and listened while Riku played. Between different pieces of music they would talk, sharing experiences in the game, bragging about levels and records they'd set. They didn't even know how late it was until a security guard came and told them that they had to go because the school was closing. When Sora glanced at the clock it read 5 o'clock. His class had ended at 12:30, and he had gotten away from his teacher somewhere closer to 1. It seemed like Riku couldn't believe the time either, because his eyes widened with shock.

"Shit, I've got to get home."

They rushed out of the building. Just as Sora was about to walk to his car, he realized Riku was turning the other way towards the bus stop. Sora bit his lip - a nervous gesture - and called out to Riku."

"Hey, wait!"

"Sorry Sora, but I've got to go. I'll see you another time!"

"No, just wait! I'll give you a ride!"

"Don't bother; I don't want to be a burden!"

"It's not a burden, really! I don't mind! I want to!"

Sora had practically shouted out the last part and he blushed when Riku tuned around to stare at him. As if thinking out the argument in his mind, Riku stood his ground for a few minutes before he nodded his head and walked back to Sora. They got into the car and Riku gave him some simple directions. They remained quiet, the atmosphere tense and coming mainly from Riku. He was so nervous that Sora didn't even want to bother him with idle chatter. When they reached his home - a small, blue house at the end of the block - Riku got out quickly. As if remembering himself, he thanked Sora and hurried up to the front door.

Sora stayed parked where he was and watched as Riku dug in his pocket for his keys. Suddenly his door opened and a woman - presumably his mother - stepped out onto the steps. Sora was too far away to hear what she was saying to him, but he knew that she did not seem happy. Riku kept his head down and took whatever verbal abuse she was spewing at him. She quickly reared her hand back and slapped Riku across the face, hitting him hard enough that Sora had heard it from his car. Riku didn't flinch or even tear up; he just followed her inside and closed the door behind him.

Sora sat there, stunned for a few seconds. He had never seen anyone get slapped like that. Riku was around Sora's age, maybe a little older. He certainly wasn't a child. He wondered how Riku could just take such abuse, even if it was his own mother. Sora couldn't remember the last time his mother had struck him. He certainly wouldn't let her hit him like that now. As he put his car in drive, Sora had one thought on his mind.

"What the hell was all THAT about?"

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Yay! End of chapter! I'm trying to make this story more original than a lot of AU fics. I hope I'm doing well! I feel like I must be boring some people ! Review please my babies!


	3. White Sands

A/N: Chapter 3! Hoorah! Hope all enjoy!

Disclaimer! I do not own Sora, Riku or Kingdom Hearts. Wish I did though... SIGH

**Dearly Beloved**

_Chapter 3: White Sands_

As Sora drove home, he couldn't get the imagery of Riku getting slapped out of his head. He just didn't understand what had happened. Sure, he guessed Riku was late. But why should she bite his head off because of that? It was summer time; they'd gotten home before it was dark. And it's not like he was out doing bad things. Didn't she know he was at the school the whole time?

"Guess that explains the nervousness."

Sora felt guilty for the rest of the night. He didn't really eat the burger he fixed for himself and as he tried to fall asleep, Sora ended up staring at his at his ceiling for hours. He just hoped Riku was ok.

--------------------

"Sora? SORA!"

Sora groaned at the voice screaming in his head. He raised his hands in an effort to chase away the offending sounds.

"Sora, wake up you FOOL! How dare you sleep in my class?!?"

Sitting up, now completely alert, Sora said the first lie that came to mind.

"I wasn't sleeping. I feel sick..."

Almost as if on cue, Sora's skin paled and he made his pupils dilate. One of his many treasured skills was being able to get sick on cue. Sora didn't know how he had such great control of his body, but it served the purposes he needed it for. He could even make himself throw up. As if thinking it were merely enough, Sora started to gag. He had to hold in a giggle however when he saw his teacher jump back about ten feet.

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place boy? Get yourself down to the nurse's office!"

Sora rose silently and gathered his things, a ghost of a smile painting his lips. He continued his act out into the hallway, but stood upright as soon as he rounded the corner. There was no way he was going back to class - he could just tell his teacher tomorrow that the nurse had sent him home. Instead he wandered towards the music room, wondering if he was going there too early. As the sound of a piano drifted towards him, Sora grinned in happiness. He recognized this piece too.

"That's the theme from Zanarkand!"

Sora burst into the door, seeming to bring the sunshine with him. Riku quickly looked up from the piano and smiled.

"Yeah, I know. I've been in the mood to play it lately."

Sora blushed a little, knowing that Riku remembered it was one of his favorites. His smile faded a little when he looked up and saw a small cut in the corner of Riku's left eye. Deciding not to bring up what he saw yesterday, Sora voiced an idea that he'd had early that morning.

"Hey, what's say you and me go to the beach this weekend?"

The smile disappeared off Riku's face and his fingers faltered on the keys.

"I... I don't know Sora..."

"Oh c'mon Riku! Do you really want to be shut up in this classroom all the time? We could be out doing other things!"

"I'm not sure Sora..."

Sora's face took on a puppy dog look as he pouted at Riku.

"At least say you'll think about it!"

Riku sighed and continued to play.

"I'll think about it..."

Sora jumped up with his fist in the air, causing Riku to laugh at him.

"You are such a dork Sora..."

--------------------

When Sora dropped Riku off again - he had offered and Riku hadn't put up an argument this time - he felt better than he'd been feeling in a long time. Not only was he relieved - he felt lighter. Sora wouldn't have been surprised if his car simply took off and he flew into the sky. But a small part of him kept him quiet.

"He thinks you're just friends. That this is just a friendly trip to the beach. You don't even know whether he's gay or not! He could have a girlfriend!"

Sora shut out those negative thoughts as soon as they sprang to mind.

"Right now, just being friends is enough..."

--------------------

"I'll go."

Sora snapped his eyes open. He had been quietly indulging as Riku played some melodies from Final Fantasy 8. The quickly spoken sentence threw him off.

"I'm sorry?"

Riku glanced over his shoulder quickly.

"This Saturday. I said I'd go."

Sora broke out into a smile, his eyes lighting up.

"That's great! I'll come and pick you up! Maybe sometime around noon?"

Riku nodded his consent and continued playing.

Nothing could ruin Sora's mood now. He was sure of it.

--------------------

To Sora, it didn't seem like the weekend could come fast enough. He enjoyed spending time with Riku during the week, but couldn't wait until Saturday. He felt as though that day was some sort of test. But he couldn't tell what it would be testing exactly.

"I don't care! It's gonna be great!"

Sora woke up early Saturday morning, his nerves jolting him from sleep. He fussed over everything. Whether or not to bring any food and if he was going to bring food, what he should bring; whether he should bring his board or not; what he should wear - a simple pair of trunks or his surfing suit; should he bring a boom box? What kind of CD should he bring; the piano stuff or all his soundtracks or what?!?

"Ugh. Now I know how girls feel..."

By the end of the morning, Sora wanted to rip his own hair out. He finally decided to bring a little food - some fresh fruit and a few bottles of ice water. He didn't want to bring his board seeing as how he didn't even know if Riku could surf. He was going to wear a simple pair of trunks, but one of his nicer ones, a white over dark blue Hawaiian print. And he decided against bringing any form of music, feeling as though it would just get in the way.

"I want to know him away from the music. I want to know RIKU and not just the boy that plays the piano."

--------------------

Sora hated belonging to the male gender sometimes.

Sometimes meant right now, as he glared angrily down at his lap. He was parked in Riku's garage, watching as the silver haired boy walked out of his house and towards him.

With no shirt on.

Sora took a deep breath, trying not to let the image in front of him affect his body. He knew however that this picture would be in his mind for a long time to come. Riku's skin was flawless and pale. His nipples were a soft pink color that caught Sora's attention and made him lick his lips. His slender frame was well built, muscles well defined on his stomach. He wore a pair of black and yellow trunks that seemed a little loose around his hips. Sora wished they would just fall down...

"Hey Sora! You ready to go? I haven't been to the beach in ages!"

Sora snapped out of his self induced state, hoping his drool was only mental. His heart skipped a beat as Riku sat beside him and beamed a smile. His mood was infectious and Sora was afraid of how badly his face would hurt from all the smiling he was bound to do all day.

"Ok, let's blow this place! To the beach!"

Sora pointed north, acting like they were going on an epic quest. Riku chuckled and smacked him lightly in the back of the head.

"Just drive, you dork."

The drive to the beach took less than 40 minutes and Sora was sure he would he would always remember the car ride for the rest of his life.

"So, Sora... Do you have a girlfriend?"

Sora swerved in the middle of the road, ignoring the honking of a driver behind him.

"Um, no. Why?"

Riku looked thoughtful for a minute before simply shaking his head and smiling lightly.

"Just wondering..."

"What about you?"

Riku dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"Nah... Not my thing..."

Sora bit his lip, sorely tempted to ask Riku whether he was referring to dating or women in general. He was afraid to find the answer so instead he said nothing. Riku changed the subject in a heartbeat, as if nothing was said beforehand.

"So, tell me about yourself. Other than video games, what do you do all day?"

"Well... Hmmm... I like a lot of things... I'm on the computer a lot... I like anime and Japanese stuff like that... I surf..."

"Really? YOU surf?"

Sora's voice took on an angry tone.

"Yeah, _I _surf. What's wrong with that?"

Riku laughed and rustled his hair, tone apologetic.

"Nothing at all. It's just a little hard to picture coming from you. You need to stop taking everything so seriously Sora. I'm just teasing you. We're friends after all, right?"

Sora's face fell and he nodded slightly.

"Yeah... Just friends..."

--------------------

"AHHHHH!!! The water is _FREEZING_!"

Sora couldn't help but laugh at the image of Riku standing in the water, clutching his shoulders for dear life. He dove under for a minute, grabbing Riku's feet and trying to pull him further down. The silver haired boy was unaware as to what Sora was up to until he felt hands on his ankles. By then it was too late; Riku was so surprised that he lost his footing and went under as far as he could. Sora emerged first, laughing until his sides hurt. When Riku finally popped up - looking none too happy at first - he broke out into an evil grin. Sora saw the look and began to swim for dear life. Riku was faster however and he jumped on Sora, trying to drown him.

"Riku!!! I gasp can't gasp breathe!"

"That's the point you little squirt! Now suffer!"

Using one hand to push Sora's head underwater, Riku reached down with the other and began to tickle him. A satisfied look overtook his face when he heard a quick gasp followed by underwater giggles. When Sora's head resurfaced he grabbed at Riku's hand, trying to plead with him.

"Please! You win! You're going to gasp kill me if you keep this up!"

Riku relented, letting Sora come up for a few breaths of air.

"Wow Riku, you're really strong. I wasn't expecting that at all."

Riku mock punched him in the arm, grinning. He started to head out of the water and back to their little spot on the sand. Sora followed him and they both sat down on the towel, Sora leaning back to absorb the sun's rays.

"Just because I'm on the piano all the time doesn't mean I'm a weakling Sora."

"So what, do you work out or something?"

"Nope. I never understood the appeal of all those muscle heads. I wanna be fit, not a freak."

"So then what makes you so strong?"

"Kids."

Sora sat up, a tortured and shocked look on his face.

"You... You have-"

Riku's eyebrows shot up and he waved his hand in vehement denial.

"What?!?!? No! I have siblings Sora, SIBLINGS! Sheesh!"

Sora smiled sheepishly.

"How many?"

"Three. One boy - he's 8. And a set of twin girls who are 5. I'm the oldest. I take care of them a lot, so half the time I feel like they're my own."

"What about your mom?"

Riku's face fell and Sora instantly regretted asking him about anything involving her.

"My mother works a lot. She's not always home, so I'm usually there to help with the kids."

"So that's why she slap-"

Sora covered his mouth quickly, glancing at Riku in fear. Why couldn't he just keep his big mouth shut?"

"So you saw that, huh? Well I don't blame her. We stayed out so long and she didn't know where I was. She was over an hour late for work because she had to stay home with the kids."

"Doesn't she know that you're at the school playing the piano?"

"Well yeah, he knows I'm at school. But not the piano part..."

Sora's curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Why not Riku?"

Riku stared at the sand for a minute and Sora hated himself.

"I-I'm sorry... You don't have to-"

Riku put his hand up to cut Sora short and sighed deeply. He seemed like he was debating with himself and Sora sat there quietly staring at his face. In the sunlight Riku's hair took on a beautiful iridescent look. It seemed almost invisible, glittering like jewels when the wind blew. Sora sighed to himself, wishing he could run his fingers through that hair and soothe the boy beside him. Riku finally looked up, aqua eyes intense with an unspoken suffering. Sora gasped to himself, mesmerized by the fact that he could almost feel the pain radiating through them.

"You know what Sora? I've never really been close to anyone in my life. It was always me and my family. Other children my age annoyed me. I've always felt I was always a little more mature than my age. But there's something about you that makes you so easy to talk to. You never seem to judge. You're really my only friend. It's funny because we've only known each other a week, but something tells me I can trust you with anything..."

Sora couldn't help his actions. He practically leapt onto Riku, giving him a tight hug. He kept the tears in his eyes from spilling over and controlled his voice so it wouldn't crack.

"I know what you mean Riku. And you can trust me. Always."

Riku gently dislodged Sora after a few minutes, pulling back with a sigh. He looked down and began to speak...

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Ah, I've cliff hung everyone! Well, not exactly seeing as how I'll probably be posting all the chapters together. All you have to do is click to next and keep reading... And you want to do that, don't you? D-O-N-T-Y-O-U?!?!?! LOL, reviews make me happy, so please indulge me...


	4. Closer

A/N: It's time for Riku to explain a few things, don't you guys think? I feel bad for what I'm about to do to him! tear I loves you Riku!

Disclaimer! I do not own Sora, Riku or Kingdom Hearts! If I did, I'd make Sora wear little kitty ears all the time cuz he'd be my little lap boy! And Riku... well he wouldn't wear anything EVER )

**Dearly Beloved**

_Chapter 4: Closer_

"Well I suppose the best thing would be to start from the beginning. Or at least part of it. I'm 17 Sora; I don't think I ever actually told you that. Up until I was 9 we lived in a small apartment in the city. It was always me, my mom and my dad. My dad was originally a small time security officer when I was a kid. Back then, my mother didn't work. She was a happy housewife, completely devoted to my father and us children. When Taka - my little brother - was born, he started to look for bigger and better jobs. He wanted to protect people so he became a police officer. Being a cop in a small town seemed to pay better, so we packed up and moved here. It was hard work, but it always left him with a deep sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. We were always happy. When the twins came along, the house was crazy. But no one was fighting. It seemed as though we were the perfect family..."

Riku turned and stared off at the ocean, his voice becoming rough with emotion.

"My dad was... larger than life in a lot of ways. I look a lot like him and so to the twins for that matter. My brother takes more after my mother. My dad was a great man. No matter how much he did during the day he always had time for us kids. He could come home bushed and still have enough energy to tackle us and play around. And he always came in to say good night and tuck us in. None of the other kids I knew had dads that could compare to mine. I always thought he was invincible. I had this image in my heads of crooks running away at just the sight of him. Like his look could strike justice where ever it strayed."

"The one thing that I know I inherit from him is my musical ability. My dad was a piano man - he taught me when I was 5. I always thought it was amazing that he could go from something so tough during the day, like chasing down criminals to coming home, sitting in front of the piano and playing such a soft melody that it brought tears to your eyes. He was also pretty good with the guitar and he used to play for us - usually at my mother's request. She used to say that she fell in love with his hands first, before she saw the rest of him."

"Not long after the twins were born, things at work became intense for him. He was promoted and while we celebrated, it brought on more responsibilities than he was used to. He got home too late to spend any time with us. And when he had a day off, he was so tired that we simply didn't have the heart to disturb him. Then one night, he didn't come home. We heard the door bell at 4 in the morning. When I opened the door - my mother had her hands literally full with the twins - two of my father's fellow officers were standing in front of us, tears actually in their eyes. My mother just shook her head at them. And I..."

Riku sighed and started to draw things in the sand.

"It was a bad drug bust. My dad was undercover and posing with the bad guys. Someone found out who he was and shot him point blank in the face before any of his cops could come and help. He was hailed as a hero, celebrated within his precinct. But he was still gone..."

"Not long after, my mom got a job as a manager at a department store. I took on the duty of caring for my siblings. She depends a lot on me and I hate to let her down. After my dad died, my mom lost all the light in her eyes. The sound of a piano or an acoustic guitar brings her such pain; you can almost actually FEEL it pouring from her. Not too long after he died, the sight of his instruments in our house became unbearable. She gave them to charity, as she was sure my father would wish. But I was unhappy with that and when I complained she forbade me from ever playing any instrument again. She said she wanted me to do something better with my time..."

"But I can't just stop. The music makes me feel so alive; I don't know how I could live without it. I tend to favor video game tracks, but it's not all I know. I play classical and jazz - which was always my father's favorite. I even write a little. Music is definitely what I want to do with my life. I just wished I could get her to understand that. I mean, how pathetic is it to sneak to school to play the piano? Really now?"

Riku sighed, looking back at Sora.

"So there... now you know..."

Sora had his head bowed down close to his lap. He didn't want Riku to see him crying. But a loud sniff gave him away.

"Sora?"

Sora looked up at Riku, tears flowing freely now. His bottom lip quivered and he took a deep breath.

"I... I'm so..."

A loud sob broke through Sora's chest and he couldn't finish his statement. He put his hands over his eyes and cried so hard his body shook. Suddenly he heard a low chuckle and a firm arm wrapped around his shoulder.

"Thank you Sora... Thank you..."

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"This is some good watermelon..."

Riku's words were the first to break the silence. Sora had calmed down awhile ago, but neither had felt much like talking. Instead they quietly began to eat the snacks Sora had packed. Sora looked up at Riku, a small smile forming on his face.

"You're welcome."

Riku finished his bowl and stood, rustling Sora's hair.

"C'mon, stop being so glum. It happened to me, not you."

Sora's eyes glassed over as he looked up at Riku.

"Yeah, but... It was just so... terrible..."

Riku sighed and kept his hand on Sora's hair.

"I know that... But it's been a long time and I don't think about it anymore. Please Sora."

"Ok..."

Sora stood up and they both started to walk down towards the beach.

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"Today was really great Sora. I had a ton of fun..."

Riku stepped out of Sora's car, head still sticking into the window. He smiled and reached in to mess with Sora's hair.

"I'm glad you had fun, so did I."

"And actually, you did me a great favor today Sora."

Sora looked at him puzzled.

"What?"

Riku's hand drifted down from Sora's hair to the side of his face. Sora's heart rate sped up and he looked up into Riku's eyes.

"You listened."

Riku pulled his hand away and out of the car window.

"See you Monday."

And with that he walked away, leaving Sora clutching the side of his face.

"Yeah, Monday..."

As he put his car in drive, Sora felt deeply satisfied. Today had indeed been a big day. He and Riku had gotten closer. Things would change from here on out he knew.

He just hoped they were good changes...

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Short chapter, yes I know, I know. But it brought a lot of things to light, ne? Review? Maybe? I'll give you all cookies...


	5. Differences

A/N: Ok, time for another chapter for your entertainment! Enjoy!

Disclaimer! I do not own Sora, Riku or Kingdom Hearts! Right now it'd be really nice though... I have a feeling I could depend on Sora to take care of me while I have a cold sniff (

**Dearly Beloved**

_Chapter 5: Differences_

Sora trod along the halls of the school quietly and slowly. He was in no rush to go see Riku today.

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The first thing Sora did when he got home was call his father at the office.

"Hello?"

"Hey Dad."

"Sora? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. When are you coming home?"

"Actually I was just about to wrap here. I should be home within the hour. Why?"

"I... just wanted to talk..."

"Are you ok Sora?"

"Yeah Dad... I'll see you when you get home."

"Ok... See you soon Sora..."

"Later."

As soon as his father walked in the door, Sora was there, hugging him, clutching the back of his suit jacket tightly. Not used to such affection from his teenage son, his father just held him, rubbing his back in a soothing manner. When they got out of the walkway, they sat down and Sora explained the story Riku had told him. After explaining everything, they both sat back, Sora wiping away small tears that had trailed down his face. Sora's mother walked in the door not too long after and seeing both her men so serious, became concerned. When Sora explained again, she dropped her things and held him, caressing his cheek softly. Sora sighed into her embrace.

"I really love you guys..."

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While it seemed to bring his family a little bit closer, Sora couldn't be sure what Riku's story would do to their relationship. He knew his crush on Riku was getting to be a bit too much. He was afraid for today. What if Riku was suddenly ashamed about spilling his guts to Sora? What if he wanted him to go away? Sora didn't think he could take that.

Finally Sora turned down the hall in which the music room lay. Instead of the piano being played, Sora could have sworn he heard the sound of a feminine giggle. He rounded the door to the music room and got the shock of his life.

Riku was on the floor, sprawled on top of a girl Sora had never seen before. His hands were running up and down her sides and the girl couldn't stop giggling, tears in her eyes. Sora stood there for a full minute before either of them realized he was there. The girl pointed at him and Riku whipped his head around. As he spotted Sora, a crimson blush stained his cheeks and he sat up, removing himself from the girl's body.

"Oh, hey Sora. This is-"

"Kairi! Mighty nice to meet you Sora! I've heard so much about you!"

The girl stood up and brushed herself off. She wasn't wearing their uniform he noticed. Instead she was clad in a short pink dress, silver zippers all over the garment, including one that ran down the very front of the dress, showing a white shirt that she wore underneath. Her hair was a bright red, cut short and stylish up to her shoulders. Her eyes were a dark blue color, bright with excitement. Sora had to admit to himself that she was rather pretty. He could understand why guys would be falling over themselves for her. He put out his hand for her, but she ignored it and jumped into his arms, hugging him like she'd known him all her life.

"She's my cousin. She's visiting my family for the next couple of weeks."

Kairi turned and slapped his shoulder in a playful manner.

"Riku, why do you always tell people that? I'm not his real cousin Sora - our moms are best friends and we've been together since childhood. I just had to hear him play today - it's been simply forever since he played for me."

Sora's heart fell. He had been secretly hoping that Riku only played for him. Now that he knew differently, Sora wasn't sure what to say to her. She seemed to be a nice girl, but something in Sora couldn't like her just yet. She turned her bright smile on Riku nodded towards the piano.

"Play it. You know the one."

Riku smiled at her and sat down, playing the beginning notes of a song that Sora knew very well. It was the ending song to Final Fantasy 9, 'Melodies of Life'. The song had always been stuck in his head as a song of happy endings. It was quite romantic in its own way - speaking of a lost love remembered for all of time. It always touched him, this song. Suddenly, as the song reached the chorus, Kairi lifted her head and began to sing.

"'A voice from the past, joining yours and mine. Adding up the layers of harmony...'"

Sora stared at her dumbfounded as he listened to her sing. Her voice was wonderful. As the song continued, she sung louder and stronger. It seemed that as she sung, her voice took control of Riku and he played louder as well, getting into it. They complemented each other so well that Sora was honestly moved. They made quite the musical duo. When Riku played out the final notes of the song, Sora couldn't help but clap. He smiled softly at Riku, and then turned to Kairi, who beamed at him.

"You were wonderful. You have such a beautiful voice Kairi..."

"Thank you Sora! I've been telling Riku all these years that we should go into business together, but he simply won't listen."

She turned to Riku and smacked his forehead, causing him to grimace up at her.

"See? Sora thinks we're good! Why not listen to him?"

Riku stuck out his tongue at her and as they continued to argue, Sora smiled to himself. As much as he feared her relationship with Riku, Sora couldn't help but like Kairi. She had an air about her that brought happiness wherever it went. He laughed casually and joined in on the argument, taking Kairi's side.

For some reason he wasn't as threatened as he thought he should be. And it was a comforting thought.

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Ok, short chapter, sorry sorry. But yay, more to come soon! R&R please!


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